Cabin Fever
by Kristen999
Summary: A disgruntled CSI, an amused detective, floods, and a cabin. Mix it up and you get a recipe for fun fic. A bit of humor, a dash of angst, and some romance.


Title: Cabin Fever (1/1)

Author: Kristen999

Disclaimer: All rights belong to CBS and all their fine writers. Please don't sue. This is just for fun.

Rating: M 

Pairing: Nick/Sophia (yes it's true)

Summary: A disgruntled CSI, an amused detective, floods, and a cabin. Mix it up and you get a recipe for fun fic. A bit of humor, a dash of angst, and some romance.

Notes: A friend of mine experiencing a very bad week asked for a favor. I of course responded. Here's the result of a challenge. Prompts at the end. I had to write something nice for my guy, though I admit Nick's bad day in "Rashomama" inspired this tale, even if there are no references to that episode. Keep in mind the rating, kiddies.

Thanks to Kim for the beta on this.

* * *

The old Ford truck's wheels screeched with a high pitch along wet, worn away asphalt on even more mangled balding tires. The windshield was covered with a grainy layer of film, making it nothing but a sweet guess as to where the road was exactly. The rain pounded in hard sheets, wipers going a mile a minute, another squeaking noise to compete against the background of pelting rain.

Nick growled and jerked on the wheel hard to avoid another lurch in the dangerous path.

It was odd to see such flagrant hostility from the normally 'Aw shucks Cowboy.' Sure the man had a glare that could make suspects confess and he was certainly a criminalist who would run you right over if you were in the way of solving a case. A bad ass CSI, to say the least. But one had to face it. Nick Stokes was just a sweet heart, an old fashioned romantic type, who happened to have looks that could kill. A lethal combination, but again fascinating study material when he was so pissed off.

Sofia actually cracked a slight grin.

"Damn it!" he cursed. The man was going to pop that jaw out of whack if he wasn't too careful.

Sofia held onto her armrest just a tad tighter; it had been a tedious past few miles. The floodgates had opened and the heavens had unleashed a terrible storm. A few degrees colder and it would be the white stuff, and then they'd be in deeper than they were now.

They were in the middle of nowhere, half way from the Podunk town of Banks City, a lifetime from the any real civilization. Nick's SUV blowing a rod should have been the first clue that the return trip home was going to be a nightmare.

"Just got a tune-up a couple months ago," he muttered under his breath. For the twentieth time.

She smiled even more; he was cute when he got feisty. "It was take the rental or stay another night. The storm didn't seemed that bad from the reports," she tried to soothe her agitated partner.

Nick glared at her from the corner of his eye as he wrestled with the steering again. The gusting wind and a river for their road made the drive ever more precarious.

"Humph. They call this a truck?" Nick snorted. "This is a Ford, for one. With..." He took his eyes off the road for a split second and they smoldered. "With a 150,000 miles on it. Wreck on wheels."

She shrugged. "It runs, which means it has one up on your car."

The Texan's grip grew whiter. She felt a bit of pity. "It's cramped and, well, the radio doesn't work," she relented, having a ball watching the man get worked up even more.

"Damn heater doesn't run," he said, banging on the dashboard for added emphasis.

"You think that'll teach it a lesson?" she teased.

Nick sent another seething look in her direction.

She took her hands away from their position on each armrest to struggle deeper within the folds of his coat. "Want this back?"

The criminalist exhaled heavily. "Nope. Keep it."

She sunk her hands into the pockets for the briefest of moments, all cozy and warm. Nick had given her his leather jacket when she mentioned how chilly it had become once the sun had set. That was before the mercury had dropped to near freezing. Now he was without warm clothes, his black T-shirt his only protection from the harsher weather.

It was like a small refrigerator in the beat up old truck, their breath a visible reminder, and she felt a bit guilty. Chivalry and Nick went hand-in-hand. Sofia felt like she had taken advantage of that aspect of him. Not that any of her other co-workers wouldn't have done the same, it was just... so natural for Nick to offer. She accepted with no qualms, kind of odd for her, considering she didn't consider herself the typical female co-worker.

She didn't need chivalry, nor did she expect it. In fact, sometimes being treated as a woman could become old and tired in the male-dominated world of law enforcement. With Nick though, it was okay to be treated and respected as a woman, and as an equal. No doubt the criminalist respected her as a co-worker, but he still threaded that fine line from time to time.

His behavior towards her never offended, it sort of made her…smile.

Damn annoying southern charm. Sofia fell for it every time, though she hid it well.

The hazard of the road drove her mind to the more 'exciting' aspects of their case - the death of a prominent citizen, the Pastor's wife. Everyone seemed twitchy; the whole stupid no-outsiders-allowed crap. The old bird Sheriff, who looked like he'd stepped off the set of TV's Mayberry, acted dumb, concealed his smarts, and in no way wanted the CSIs near anything.

After the first set of interviews they had not been welcomed. The 'hotel' was quaint if not cramped, but all the fake smiles and mum lips were annoying. Everything had reached a crescendo at Al's Bar and Tavern. Too many shots of whiskey, too many mulled-headed citizens trying to protect one of their own.

The truck hydroplaned for a few seconds. Nick's gruff shout of warning made her hold her breath. The old bucket of bolts screamed and wailed through a moment of near weightlessness-or that's how it felt. Then Nick pitched the mad hunk of steel back on course, sweat dripping down his forehead despite the cold air circulating through the cab.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

She risked a glance at him: body keyed up, rigid. Stiff tendons like tiny ropes strained under the skin of his forearms.

"It's cool. I can't see a damn thing. Don't know how we're still in one piece."

Nick leaned even closer to the windshield.

No way it could make a difference. She didn't tell him that. "You know, when I radioed our position last, Sheriff Adkins mentioned a place to hole up for the night. He was worried about this flare up in storm." She explained, only hoping to put him at ease.

Nick stared harder out the windshield.

She followed his straining gaze; nothing but headlights bouncing against droplets of water, and the blackness of night all around. Another flare of nostrils. Nick and the lawman had not gotten along, and had, in fact, butt heads a few times, which was rare. The Sheriff had been no real help after the scuffle in the bar.

Nothing was uttered for several long minutes so a switch in subjects was in order. "Maybe you should slow down just a bit. Not like I'm in any rush to file an incident report." It was her intention to try to re-focus, get his mind off the gullies he navigated, and how the tiny truck was shoved around by the increased ferocity of the wind. She was tired of feeling like they were on some roller coaster.

"You just had to remind me of that?"

Sofia pulled back some of her blond hair, for a moment worried she had really made him mad, but it wasn't anger. Maybe a smidgen of wounded pride.

"Assaulting two law officers is pretty serious business," she reminded him, trying to convey that it wasn't some joke.

"You said that those yahoos hadn't touched you." He risked a look at her, his accent heavy, his tone angry.

Time to duck and weave. "They didn't. I took down idiot one, and you handled the other two. By the letter of the law it was still assault." She'd walked away without a mark. Nick, on the other hand, had taken on two rowdy, drunken local yokels. And even though he'd made fairly easy work of them, the two perps still got in a few licks.

"Those jackasses were a couple cards short of a full deck," he remarked, squinting at the swirling rain.

She smiled again, then heard him chuckle.

"You seem to be all smiles of late. Care to share your bright view of the world?"

Sofia grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Not particularly."

Nick's eyebrows scrunched up beneath the brim of his navy baseball cap. He had no need to keep those bangs away from his face; his longer hair had been cut off recently. It was nice to see his ears again.

He had returned his focus to the road when her cell phone chirped. Sofia was surprised to find the Sheriff checking up on them. Probably making sure they hadn't got into any more trouble.

"What does he want?" Nick asked, before she could cover the mouthpiece. His annoyance with the man was not hidden well.

"What does the trip meter say?" she asked telling the speaker to hold on. The detective waited for Nick to reply, and when he sent her one of his perplexed looks, she sighed. "The numbers, Stokes."

The use of his last name ticked him off, that was for sure. Nick risked a look, and then rattled off an answer, his shoulders so squared that the man was going to be sore from all the bristling and huffing he'd been doing.

She rolled her eyes, still amused how easy it was to push his buttons. She finished her conversation and felt a tiny bit of guilt. "The Sheriff hit the trip meter before we left. We're only five miles from a cabin of his buddy's, if we want to stop for the night."

Nick didn't look at her. "Let's just keep going. Would rather get home and sack out in my own bed."

"After filling out a report about the case, the bar fight, and don't forget, the added expense of renting this lovely car to drive home after yours went kaput," Sofia added, trying to get the man to make a common sense decision instead of being so bullheaded.

"I can't believe we gave them anything for this piece of crap," he muttered.

"We had to give them some form of payment to erase anything that could be taken as a bribe. Though..." She looked around at the rust bucket, cold air seeping through the windows, "Seems like the deputy's brother's truck is a lemon."

Nick snorted, a grin making its way over the sourpuss expression. "Yeah, well I'll drag Warrick back with me in this death trap when I go back to pick up mine. That's if their supposed shade tree mechanic will actually fix it and not strip it."

"Shade tree mechanic?" she asked, mildly amused.

"Yeah, that's when you don't have a real shop. You repair things under-"

A loud bang sounded and the beat up truck veered wildly. Nick wrestled with the wheel as they tail-hooked hard to the right. "Hang on!"

Sofia braced for rushing tree limbs, or the white light of their death, until the squealing ended with a sharp sling shot of the vehicle, and both of them were flung back, then forward, by the sudden lurching halt.

Their rapid breathing filled her ears, accompanying the rain's heavy hammer against the metal roof. Sofia exhaled deeply. Yep, they were alive. She turned her head to find Nick's hands still clamped onto the wheel, his eyes dark, chest heaving.

"You okay?" she asked, still shaken herself.

He slowly turned his head. "You're kiddin', right?"

She stayed silent as he quietly spilled out more curses than she'd heard him utter in a year. After a couple cleansing breaths, he bowed his head for a moment, then wiped at his forehead, removing his cap.

Nick snorted shaking his head. "What else could go-"

She placed her fingers to his lips to shut him up.

The expression on his face was priceless. His left eyebrow arched incredibly high, a tiny lip curl, and she let them slip away, smiling at his impish grin.

"Should keep my mouth shut, huh."

"Good idea," she replied, amused by the slight pink that had come to his cheeks.

Nick cleared his throat. "You all right? Didn't bang up anything, did ya?"

"Nope. I'm all good," she replied.

"Sorry 'bout losing my temper." Nick fumbled for an apology, his discomfort at her witnessing his secret vault of foul language obvious. The man couldn't be more endearing.

"Pales in comparison to the bullpen at PD," she winked at him.

Nick nodded, blushing again. "All right. Well, better go check the tire. I think it's what blew."

Sofia undid her seatbelt. "I'll help. Maybe there's a flashlight somewhere in here," she said, rummaging through the glove box.

"It's pouring outside, Sofia," he reminded her.

She took a good look out the window, acting all the world like this was news to her. "Yep, you certainly have crack investigative skills there, Nick," she quipped.

Nick tried his best to look offended; it wasn't a look that suited him. "Only one of us should get soaked."

"Might want to hold onto the reins of that white stallion, Nick. It may run off without you."

He glared at her. "I'll be right back," the stubborn man proclaimed, as he pushed open his door, throwing his cap back on. The rain streamed through the opened door, and in within seconds, the cowboy was out trying to defend some sort of code.

Sofia shook her head, checking the trip meter. "Figures," she muttered. They were only about an eighth of a mile from the mentioned cabin. She zipped up Nick's coat, swallowed up in its warmth, and forced open the passenger side door.

She wasn't about to wait around for the Texan to fix things when she had two capable hands, and a leather jacket. She grabbed the small flashlight that she'd, by some miracle, found in the glove compartment. She carefully made her way to the rear driver's side of the truck where she found the criminalist knee deep in mud.

"What the hell?" she said over the pounding of the weather.

Nick had caked-up grime all over his jeans, the coating mucking his entire right thigh. His left leg was dirtied around the knee.

He glowered at her, all chagrin and pure frustration. "Don't ask," he snarled.

"Need some help?" Sofia asked, carefully creeping around the muddied, unstable ground. She took in the flash flood that was the road.

"No, stay back. It's slippery out here, just in case you didn't...well, notice," Nick grumbled, crouching to inspect the tire.

One look and they both knew it had been completely blown.

"Nick, you can't change that out here. Not in this fix," she tried to explain, her hair a soppy mess.

The criminalist looked at the way the truck had landed; half in a ditch, most of what was left of the tire encased with mud, much like the man's pants. Much like the Texan himself.

Nick muddled through the wet soil, his boots nearly stuck in the ditch. Instead of fighting the situation, he stood to his full height and glanced up at the falling rain, as if asking God what else he had in store.

She wanted to tell him, even _thinking_ it was a bad idea.

The man was thoroughly drenched. His T-shirt clung to him, every inch of his body soaked to the bone.

Sofia was quickly reaching the same sad state, her teeth chattering slightly in the near-frigid temperature. Nick had to be worse off, lacking any outer clothing besides the pathetic, soggy black cotton tee.

"Nick, we're not far from the cabin. I say we trudge our way there before both of us catch pneumonia."

The CSI took on the look of defeat. He moved towards the road where it appeared more stable and less like a river. His left foot slipped from under him, sending him along the gully.

Sofia quickly crossed to him, just as he caught his footing and got his balance back, more crap all over his side now, too.

The man shook his head, sending a spray of water around him, the hair under his baseball cap as wet as the rest of him. "Lead the way," he yelled through the torrential rain.

Sofia nodded, nothing in the truck worth taking with them. The two drenched officers made their way through the storm, neither of them daring to say a word to the other.

Nope it couldn't get any worse.

* * *

It was definitely a cabin, not something Smokey the Bear would call home. It was rudimentary, but it would do for two people stranded in the middle of some silly flood. No wonder the door wasn't locked; nothing really to steal in the middle of Nowhere Town. The two shivering tourists searched the crude place for a switch until it dawned on each of them there was no power.

Which meant…

"No light," Nick grumbled using his small Maglite to canvass the darkened room.

Sofia didn't add any remarks to the obvious, heading right for a bookshelf, finding nothing but emptiness- not even a hunting magazine. Guess the Sheriff's buddy didn't read much. A kitchen table, two tiny windows and an oversized couch in the middle of the living room.

Nick's clattering teeth echoed above the pounding of rain on the roof. Sofia's wet pant legs swooshed with every stride, her wet hair and face contributing to the chill going down her spine. The detective eyed the fireplace with eagerness at the same time that Nick searched the rest of the cabin, opening a few doors, leaving her in the blackness.

She heard his footfalls as he met her near the possible source of warmth. "Two bedrooms, all stripped of anything useful, though I found one worn out blanket in a closet."

He handed her the quilt, and she was surprised to note the thing was softer than its tattered appearance would have had her believe. She accepted it and draped it over the cushion of the sofa. "I think a nice roaring fire should do the trick." She turned to him. "You were a Boy Scout once, right?"

Nick actually cracked a smile. He went to the hearth and rummaged through a small stack of rotting firewood.

"S-shouldn't be t-too hard to start o-one, up," he said, teeth chattering.

Sofia was pretty darn cold, but Nick had to be freezing, his body shaking like a leaf as he began setting up the materials for a fire. She bit her lip, noting both their frosty breath in the near dark, Nick's flashlight propped against the base of the fireplace while he tended to the wood.

"Anything I can do to help?" she offered noting the tremor in his hands now as he battled to control them. Her worry grew.

"Nah," he said, as wet denim dripped water onto the floor.

She held her arms tightly around her body, a bit agitated that she been relegated to the sidelines, but the man seemed to be getting things together without her help. It was actually kind of cool to watch him work; hard not to notice the easy motion of hands probably used to craftsmanship. Well-toned arms, flexing and maneuvering around aged wood, as Nick crouched setting things up.

Nick ducked his head inside the chimney inspecting something with his light, a pity that he took away her only source to watch him wiggle in tight jeans.

The man had a nice body that was for damn sure. The CSI's low riding jeans moved further down his hips, shirt pulling out from where it had been tucked in. Too bad she couldn't get a better look at all that skin.

Try as she may, no way to tell if he was a boxers or briefs man. It wasn't like she had anything else better to do than watch a very attractive guy hunker down around a chimney. Seemed like one of those silly scenes from a pulp romance book. Rubbing cold hands together while she waited, Nick finally emerged, even dirtier than before if that was possible.

"What's the matter?" she asked getting slightly annoyed, not at Nick, but this whole damn mess.

"S-somethin's jammed up in there," he mumbled wiping an arm over his face, smearing soot along his right cheekbone.

Sofia resisted the urge to wipe away the black mess with her hand; the poor guy didn't have much left of his body that wasn't dirty.

Nick didn't seem to notice. "Lemme try one more thing," then went back to stuffing his upper body up the chimney, adjusting his weight on his knees and making quite the impressive display.

He mumbled something, his voice muffled by the brick. Then she heard a very loud string of profanities and the criminalist re-emerged from the fireplace with a start, coughing and sputtering up a storm. Nick scrambled away with a cloud of black dust following in his wake, filling the air around them with a 'puff'.

Her throat tickled and Sofia backed away while Nick hacked up a lung, his body bent over, hands on knees. Now he was a shivering mess and was about to choke on the now thick-acidic air. The detective hovered slightly knowing that the CSI would be okay, but stayed near just in case. Finally the hacking diminished and Nick straightened to his full height, still trembling in his soggy clothes, his whole face smeared with black dust.

A filthy, wounded puppy. He'd kill her if he could read her thoughts.

She placed a hand over her mouth to keep from bursting into laughter while he fixed her with a deadly gaze.

"Damper was stuck," he defended, unable to hide the whine.

All she did was nod, caught dead-bang being entertained at his expense. He just rolled his eyes and marched back towards the fireplace ready to take it down and show it who was boss.

"Laugh it up, Curtis," he tried to growl, but this was Nick. It came across as so insincere.

Nick fiddled a bit more and with a huff of triumph, stood back as a lone ember sparked, then blossomed into flame. After several minutes a crackling fire roared to life.

"How did you start it?" she asked inquisitively.

Nick held out a matchbook. "F-found it on the mantel."

He had a hard time stuffing it into the pocket of his drenched jeans. Sofia basked in the heat from the flames, and in the added light she shook her head. "You look like hell, Nick."

The criminalist looked like he had cleaned the shaft by using his clothes and body as a scrubbing tool. His new haircut was coated with black particles, as well as his neck, his forearms, and face. The man needed a steaming shower, and somehow Sofia doubted it could cleanse away the sheer amount of muck that covered every inch of clothing. Nick Stokes did not look amused, and for some reason it was adorable.

Despite arms tightly around himself, the man couldn't stop from trembling, not to mention that the parts of his face that were not dirty were looking sort of grayish.

"You need to strip," she informed him, walking away, missing Nick's cartoon expression of shock.

"Excuse me?" he protested as she brought over the blanket. Sofia gave the man a no nonsense look.

"You're filthy, soaked, and a walking Popsicle."

Nick stood defiant, but it was difficult to do while battling non-stop chills.

Sofia grumbled under her breath. "I've seen you without your shirt on dozens of times, so why don't you drop the whole modest thing. It's cute, but kind of silly right now."

"I'm not in danger of hypothermia," he protested, but backed down a little looking down at his sorry state. It only took a couple minutes of silent treatment and his own appraisal before he gave her another look, sulking as he began to pull his soggy T-shirt over his head.

The black shirt came away from his skin like heated Saran wrap, and it was torturous acting so nonchalant as the wet thing finally got peeled away, the shirt balled up and tossed to the floor. "Damn thing's ruined," he grumbled.

She was going to add something about bellyachin when she saw a set of dark purple and bluish bruises along the right side of his ribcage. Shocked, Sofia stomped closer, invading his personal space, noting a few healing cuts.

"What the Hell?" she found herself blurting out loud, fingers reaching toward the lacerations.

Nick's body tensed, but she was already touching the clammy skin around the ugly marks. He shivered, heavy eyes watching her like a hawk, but surprisingly Nick didn't snap at her, or push her away. Instead he gently touched her hand and carefully moved it away from his side.

"Bar fight. Remember?" he said quietly.

She narrowed her eyes at the damage then back to his brown ones. "That's a bit more than a lucky shot, Nick."

He ducked a bashful face, already prepping for an argument, but went with straight forward. "One of the guys caught me with a broken beer bottle." He shrugged like it was no big deal.

Nick dismissed any argument about the could-have-been seriousness of the situation by getting closer to the fire, his trembling more pronounced.

She wouldn't push it. She wasn't Willows or Sidle. "Pants as well, Stokes. You might not have fallen into an ice pond, but sub-acute hypothermia is nothing to sneeze at."

Sofia wandered towards the kitchen, the light from the fire enough of a glow to get her to the sink. While the cabin had not been fit with modern comforts of say, electricity, she was happy to know it had running water. There was enough falling from the sky, but she scrounged around to find a dishrag and dampened it, before returning to the living area.

She set the cloth along the armrest of the couch and unzipped the icy leather jacket. As much as the CSI was in danger, she was as well, and thought maybe doing the same would calm the jittery man. Nick fussed with untying one of his boots and chucked away a sodden sock. Her numb fingers unbuttoned her disheveled blouse, and she folded the garment up. Her black bra wasn't really that damp, and she kept it on. She debated about her dress pants, the spun cotton nippy.

Sofia took the worn quilt and draped it over her shoulders, mounds of fabric rested beside her. She looked up to see Nick still on the floor, struggling with his last boot. Sofia didn't quite get it. Gorgeous men tended to flaunt their muscles, but it could be the reason why she always enjoyed working with the criminalist.

He certainly didn't fall in any one category of men. Nope, he was a gentleman, though part of her often wondered exactly how pure that ran, when the temperature went up.

He grappled with the shoe and pulled it off with more swooshy sounds and he placed it next to the other one. With a heavy sigh, he began the arduous task of stripping away wet denim. It was a feat, but he managed to pull one leg out and fought with the heavy fabric of the other.

Grey boxer briefs. She had an inside track on one Lab betting pool.

Sofia felt a flush come to her cheeks, ducking her head, almost mirroring the actions of her partner. She peered up, knowing he was glancing at her. Sofia lifted the blanket, inviting him over. Nick didn't give her eye contact and took his sweet time. He sat on the edge of a faraway cushion and Sofia wrapped the warm cover over his chilled body.

"I won't bite," she teased.

He scooted closer, lightly clearing his throat. She wrapped an arm around his torso, bringing him closer, while bunching the fabric around the both of them. His body went rigid briefly while Sofia drew him closer, sliding her other arm around him, encircling him snug along her own body in a clumsy hug.

His skin was clammy, and she held onto his slim waist with one hand, the other moving up and down to create friction along his back.

"Jeesh, Nick," she whispered, at how cold he really was, the light shaking evident as their skin made contact.

He laughed nervously. "Hmmmm, sorry."

She kept brushing her hand over his taut back, her right one doing the same along his unbruised side. Sofia felt his arm tentatively slip around her waist, bringing her towards him.

"Body heat should warm us up," she demurred.

Sofia stared at the floor, captivated by the man's bare feet, poking out from the confines of the shared blanket. It was so adorable. They held each other, each exchanging slight shivers, another tremble here and there, but soon their collective heat merged.

Kinetic energy at work, Sofia closed her eyes, allowing the horrendously long day to lull her barriers away. She leaned against Nick's broad shoulder, cheek against the soft fleshy part of his chest and listened to his strong heartbeat.

Her hair dangled in a mess over her chest and shoulders. Deft fingers pulled at the damp strands and lay them over the blanket, away from her skin. Those same fingers rubbed at the base of her neck, digging into the tense muscles there. Nick's hand slipped away to rest on her right shoulder and squeezed it softly.

"Sorry about bein' an ass. Long freakin' day," he drawled. His southern twang made her melt slightly.

Her delicate fingers drifted down the smooth skin of his cut abs. It was kind of odd, holding and hugging the man so closely, flush along her own body. A special region way beyond intimate; touching that was more seeking and needy than just simple gestures of comfort. The fact that his hand never left her personal space indicated his desire to keep in close contact.

Her cheek rested against his chest now, breathing in rainwater, but also a hint of musk, worn away spice, and sweat. The mixture wasn't offensive; no it was distinct, and made her skin tingle from the nasal passages down her spine, awaking parts of her brain.

She was half-naked with Nick Freakin' Stokes! The darling of the lab. Subject of many coworker's fantasies and here she was touching the man in ways that only techs could daydream about. Something primal had been woken, sensations that sent endorphins on a super high.

No, no, no. This wasn't right, they were both trusting, he was vulnerable, and here she was thinking of taking advantage of that.

He rested a cheek slightly coarse with five o'clock shadow softly against her own, his breath long, deep puffs that tingled over sensitive skin. Her mind went on high alert, definitely a testing the waters-type gesture. Her body became a live wire, thinking again. Nick Stokes was a softy, but no way the man didn't know his way around the block. The mere thought of what he was capable of, the imagined electricity was enough to test boundaries.

Sofia pulled away from the newly created warmth and security of the man's chest. She rested her chin over his collarbone, not giving up the sanctuary. She released the hold along his waist and brought her hand up to caress his face.

His cheeks were still stained by black soot, and she touched his jaw line, bringing fingertips to his lips. She rested them there, waiting for him to make the next move or to back away. Nick planted his lips along them, then he trailed, nipping ever so slightly before kissing her palm. Then he removed his mouth, almost instantly.

'Warning! Gentleman Alert!', roared in her head. Nick backed away, and like hell she was going to let this moment slip by.

Sofia wasn't much into wild flings, and she doubted one night stands were even part of Nick's vocabulary. Acting on pure, raw emotions was what made them all human. And if the detective had to do something to make him see that he wasn't breaking any rules, then she would damn well do it.

Sofia cupped his chin and gazed at him. "I'll only stop if you don't want it."

The man didn't say no, though his wheels were turning.

Time for a different tack. Sofia nearly climbed into his lap reaching past him for the damp cloth that had been deposited earlier. Her body arched over his, ample cleavage on display, knee along the inside of his thigh. Nick moved into the far corner, but she heard him let out a long slow exhale.

She inched backwards, unbearably slow, blanket rubbing along her back. One hand retrieved the cloth, the other she used to brace herself on the back of the couch. The brown of his eyes became smaller, as his pupils dilated. Nick's breathing accelerated and his mouth hung slightly ajar.

His hands slid over her waist and, although he spoke no words, he studied her. Hunger was definitely a good description for the expression on his face, though it was obscured by ash.

"I didn't think you were trying out for the role of handyman," she said coyly.

Nick raised an eyebrow as she caressed the side of his face with the cloth, ridding his skin of the stains. Sofia rubbed the rag gently under his chin, then back up to his other cheek, every stroke of wetness monitored by those dark orbs. Sofia ran the material over the Texan's forehead and through his dark hair, flattening the short tufts.

She noticed him shivering even more as she added more moisture to his already cold skin. She let the cloth drop from her hands and wiggled away. "I read that it's not good to remain vertical when trying to combat hypothermia."

"Really," he drawled deep and throaty.

Nick shimmied slowly down the length of the overstuffed couch, his hips shifting from side to side. The washboard of his stomach and ripped muscles of his body flexed with the re-adjustment. He knew what he was doing, and Sofia smiled with approval. The back of his head rested along the inside corner and she took a precious second admiring the tanned skin of his gorgeous chest. Sofia scooted down, then laid on top of him. One elbow rested along a shoulder and the other dug into the side of the cushion.

Nick wrapped the blanket tighter around both of them, his hands playing with her hair. She leaned in and their lips met. His mouth opened and she darted her tongue inside to get a taste of him. They kissed deeply before Sofia nibbled on his bottom lip.

Nick made a purring sound, then laughed. "Interesting remedy."

"Yes, I think motion is the key to heating up a body." She smiled, and this time Nick slipped his hand along the back of her neck and pulled her down for another round of kissing. She reciprocated, his low groans of satisfaction music to her ears. Sofia moved her left hand into his hair, grabbing a fistful with primal want. Beneath the quilt, his right hand rubbed down the length of her back.

Though he was still chilled to the touch, his lips grew warmer with every passing moment, the feel of his skin against her stomach, electrifying. Sofia pressed more weight along his chest. Nick's hands caressed her sides and came to rest on her hips. His mouth was inviting, but instead, she nibbled on one of his earlobes, something she'd always wanted to do. Sofia slid her tongue inside Nick's ear, eliciting a gasp of surprise. She sucked along the lobe, teething it slightly, smiling at his increased sounds of happiness.

Her pelvis pressed against his grey briefs and Nick's arousal was obvious beneath the tight cotton. He wasted no time leaving trails of moisture down her neck, while she busied herself with his ear, planting kisses along his strong jaw line.

His hands climbed up her spine, resting at the clasp of her bra. Sofia pushed off from her hands, fingers running trails over his pecs. He gave her a devilish grin and released the hooks, sliding his hands beneath the black cups. Nick moved enticingly slow, slipping the straps from her shoulders. She shifted her hands, allowing the garment to drop away. He moved to take her left breast into his wet mouth, lavishing it with his tongue, before  
sucking on it slowly.

Sofia gasped, her body infused with electricity. She leaned closer to grant him better access as his fingers moved to play and pinch at her stiffened nipples. All the while, she rubbed her pelvis along his hardened erection. His guttural, breathy response was hot against her breasts, as he shifted to give her right one the desired attention it longed for. His mouth was masterful; teasing, licking and sucking. Nick paid close attention with a very artful tongue, making it difficult for Sofia to keep from collapsing.

With part of her body on fire, she placed all her weight along one hand, allowing the other to drift down to his briefs. She rubbed teasingly over his member, heated and straining against the cotton. Nick growled, tightening his embrace, as he arched forward to increase the friction.

Sofia obliged by pressing her knee along his swelling bulge, making Nick lose concentration, his mouth slipping away from her breast. He panted and groaned as she dug harder, gyrating with painstaking slowness against his hardness

"Hhhhhmmmmurrrphh, woman," he gasped between short, heavy breaths "Enough of  
this."

Nick rose beneath her, pushing her back onto the opposite end of the couch; now Nick loomed over her. "Better," he laughed, staring at her.

Sofia ogled the man above her, marveling as every intake of breath rippled the muscles of his damn fine body; perfect skin, peak physical condition, masculinity coupled with passion and compassion.

She channeled her surging adrenaline and ran her fingers along his sculpted chest. She outlined his pectoral area, tracing her fingernails lightly over his nipples. Earning a groan of want, Sofia focused on the delicate erogenous zone, lightly teasing the flesh there. Nick's mouth hung open, groaning, his eyes squeezing closed as she rubbed soft circles around his hardening nipples.

Sofia wanted to watch him lose control. She anchored herself by latching onto his firm back and lifted upwards. Her tongue forged a trail of wetness from his belly to the middle of his chest. Nick's breathing quickened as she flicked against his left nipple - swirling, lapping, sucking - causing Nick to gasp with every trick of her practiced muscle.

Hearing his needy exhales, Sofia dug her nails along his flank and Nick let out a cry of satisfaction. Her hands trailed along both sides, desire infused into her touch. Nick hissed and his body stiffened when she accidentally rubbed over his sore side with too much vigor. He was breathing heavily, and sent an apologetic look for breaking the momentum.

Sofia didn't hesitate. Conscious that she had hurt him, she traced her fingertips around the marred skin and still healing cuts. She pressed her lips on his still heaving belly, glad that their fun was exerting so much energy. She allowed her tongue to gently lap around the salty flesh and then ran a streaming path of kisses up each rib. Sofia eyed the bruised area and with parted moist lips softened the skin with her mouth. After giving the injury some attention she followed her mischievous mind and came back up to snag his nipple again.

This time she suckled it harder, earning another greedy groan. Sofia teethed the hardened flesh and bit down playfully. Nick growled his approval, his eyes now dark with lust. She lowered herself back down to the sofa. Her hands drifted down to cup his ass, kneading and grabbing at the firmness there. Nick answered her actions by rubbing his erection against her pelvis. The contact of desire made Sofia dig deeply with all ten fingers in response.

Losing all focus, she let her head drop back down to the cushion to watch his body quiver with anticipation. Nick's arms held his body over her, his exquisite veins popping beneath his skin. Before she could suggest they remove the last layer of clothing he dropped to his elbows. One hand ran through her hair, and his hot mouth covered hers.

She let the criminalist conquer her mouth and tongue, his desperation and hunger overwhelming her very being.

Enough foreplay. Sofia concentrated her fleeting control on Nick's ass, using her hands to encourage his hips down, grinding his heat over hers. He began to thrust automatically, catching on to her desire. Just as suddenly, he pulled away, breathless, eyes wide and feverish. He licked his lips, and she noted his flushed face.

No longer any need to worry about the man being too cold; his body was _definitely_ warm now, his sweaty skin a signal of growing health.

"Hang on," he breathed heavily.

Sofia lay there, catching her breath, as he untangled the quilt and went in search of his jeans. She made quick work of her dress pants while stealing looks at his well-defined body. How that man went so long without a date was beyond her. Women killed for less.

Nick bent down, quickly finding the denim, pulling out his wallet and the sought after protection. "Always prepared," he smiled, holding up the square packet.

"Like a good little Scout," she teased back. She held open the blanket for him and he hurried over, his eyes filled with lust.

The Texan straddled her, a knee to each side of her, digging into the cushions. The fire crackled, casting just enough light for her to see his hands shake slightly with the effort of removing the plastic.

Sofia took his hands into hers. "Please, let me."

Nick seemed slightly embarrassed by the still cold inflicted tremble, but relinquished the condom. Sofia stripped away the plastic, holding the rolled coin of latex in her steadier fingers. Her lips quivered in excitement. "I think something needs to be freed."

He ducked his head, laughing softly, as he removed his boxer briefs and toed them away from his ankles. God he was beautiful. A fine line of hair ran from just below his navel towards his erection. Sofia scooted up just enough and slipped the condom over the head, his length jumping from her touch, his growl almost impatient.

It was a huge turn on for both of them, as she rolled the condom down his shaft down to its base. As soon as the act was complete Nick lowered his mouth to her navel, caressing the area with his moist lips. She groaned, and gasped slightly when his expert fingers delicately pulled down her lacy panties. Sofia kicked them off with her feet as she felt his stiff heat tickle over her belly.

He dipped down to her ear, and nipped it once while whispering, "You ready?"

She nibbled along a tendon of his throat, and then his earlobe, before whispering back, "As ever."

Nick moved slowly, carefully easing his way inside, eyes tuned for any reactions. As he gently maneuvered further, she tensed slightly, moaning, but soon relaxed and so he continued his entry, inch by glorious inch.

Nick expelled little excited sounds that echoed through the tiny cabin. Once he was fully inside, his face hovered over hers, and he kissed her lips softly. Sofia moved her hips, testing, then encouraged further action by rubbing her hands along his back.

Nick began a slow rhythm, his tongue probing her mouth, hands returning to play with her breasts. Sofia murmured satisfaction, the kissing long, slow, and sensual. Nothing sloppy or rushed, only deep exploration; tongues that slipped in and out, hollows and grooves learned.

He was a courteous lover, only increasing the tempo with her subtle hints. Sofia bent her knees to coax him deeper, and her hands sought out his firm ass to hold and guide. Nick obliged by thrusting more, the friction sizzling each other's skin. Their moans of pleasure reverberated through the cabin.

He dipped down occasionally to kiss or lick the sensitive area around her collarbone and her tongue tripped inside his ear. He pivoted in response, both moaning as they hit each other's sweet spots. The rhythm increased, his grunts and her growls guiding his hips along, the flesh of both their stomachs smacking with the increased intensity.

Nick was panting now, his face flush; he was getting close. He had been expertly holding his release as long as he could. Sofia scratched along the sides of his hips, moaning louder, letting him know she was closer, as well. He rested his head along her shoulder, one hand reaching for her hair, as he brought his thrusting to a crescendo.

Their bodies rocketed together; it wasn't about pace anymore, just pure, animal passion. Sofia felt an amazing explosion of pleasure and a cry of triumph escaped her lips, her vision momentarily blurring. Nick grunted, and then gasped out an unintelligible string of noises, collapsing on top of her.

Sofia wrapped her arms around his waist, both of them trembling slightly. Neither spoke as he carefully released her, and discreetly disposed of the condom.

He retrieved the blanket from the floor and, crawling onto his side, back resting along the couch, encircled them both in its warmth. She rested her head along his arm as he kissed her neck softly, still taming his breathing after their lovemaking.

Sofia relished the heat of his chest and stomach along the bare skin of her back. She held onto his hand and kissed the fingers. "Warm enough?" she cooed.

He mumbled something sounding vaguely pleased and positive.

Sofia smiled. "Good, because one of us still has to get up to set the clothes closer to the fire. So they dry out."

Nick nestled his face along her neck. "Sounds like the perfect job for a detective," he said drowsily.

His arm cinched tighter around her waist, obviously not willing to give up her warmth, or her. Not that she minded. "I'll take care of it in a bit, though driving home naked has its possibilities," she teased, smiling.

Nick purred something into her neck and then, in the silence, their breathing seemed to fall in sync.

She was on cloud nine; surrounded by this strong, wonderful man. Be it for a single night, or longer, she would enjoy herself. Her eyes closed and soon both of them were sound asleep under the comforts of the tattered blanket.

* * *

Prompts: Het fic: Cabin, fireplace, a sofa and fit in a tiny bit of H/C.

Oh, I don't ship Sophia and Nick, but this was a challenge fic to begin with, I wanted to use someone I had never written before. You know, cross that line. Plus, shrugs tiny part of me thought in these cirs, Nick would go ahead since Sophia was a cop now.


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